#benjamin vanderbilt

[loonaserena]

As soon as he found out the baby had been born, Gilbert ran home. Once he arrived and Clementine showed him his new son, he breathed in relief; he finally had an heir.

Gilbert asked Clementine if he could hold Benjamin and, while they bonded, she sat down and smiled lightly.

Everything had gone well and, now that she had a Vanderbilt son, her position in society was finally secured.

[susievanderbilt]

Name someone you’ve hurt. Do you regret what you’ve done?

“Anne. I think, sometimes, I shouldn’t have pushed for the match. It was unconventional on many levels and in the end she ended up very hurt. I don’t always regret it, when I think about how happy they seemed together. But in hindsight, I do regret my part in it.”

[loonaserena]

Gilbert John Vanderbilt, Clementine Vanderbilt (née Siverio) & Benjamin John Vanderbilt circa 1892.

[susievanderbilt]

Susie saves the day. In her own mind at least.

It was hard seeing Anne the way she was after the miscarriage. Puh-pa didn’t know how to deal with it and he looked like he had seen a ghost when he heard. Susie never got him to talk to her about it and every attempt she gave to get him to comfort Anne was firmly rejected. In a matter of months the coupling she had reluctantly come to treasure fell apart.

She didn’t know how to handle helping her either. Besides, was that sort of thing contagious? She had worked for months to get pregnant. She didn’t want to risk it. So she waited and watched when she wasn’t throwing tanrums because of hormones, and sometimes to try and make Anne smile. That very rarely worked, however.

So she decided to formulate a plan. Puh-pa and Anne were not to be, it seemed and Anne wasn’t getting any better. So she talked it out with Vryce and after a good discussion they agreed that it was time for Susie to show Anne that she was loved.

And the best way to show you love someone is to give them some great sex. At least, as far as Susie’s mind worked. And it was good and fun but after a week Susie noticed a distinct plateau of happiness in Anne. One she couldn’t quite get her friend off of.

And that is when it clicked. So she made an appointment to see her favorite Uncle.

“Unca. We have a problem. Anne. You need to fix it.”

She got one of those stares he did. That stupid one where he slowly raises a brow and looks boredly indulgent. So she let out a huff, because really, he should know exactly what she was talking about already, and expanded her explanation.

“She was always going on and on about you. Well I didn’t know it was you at the time, to be clear. She just gushed about her mentor.” Getting Anne in trouble would not do her any good. “Until she got to know Puh-pa. Which, let us be honest, it’s not a surprise that anyone would fall for a Puh-pa as great and wonderful as he is. However, I’m sure you know that is... off the table. And I’ve done my best but my love isn’t strong enough or... or what she really craves.”

Susie looked at him expectantly for a moment before sighing. “Will you please make her feel like a sexy, desirable woman again?”

@aethgar

[loonaserena]

Benjamin John Vanderbilt as an infant.

[loonaserena]

It was too soon; the baby wasn’t supposed to arrive until a few weeks later, and they were not ready.

Gertrudis told Clementine to stay put and ran to find the doctor, but things escalated quickly, too quickly, and soon Clementine found herself pushing, alone in her room.

When Gertrudis arrived, Clementine was sitting on the floor, holding her newborn son in her arms.

Welcome to the world, Benjamin John Vanderbilt 🩵

[thomas-melville]

✖ - Who is someone they just cannot stand?

“Benjamin Vanderbilt.”

[susievanderbilt]

“I don’t remember much about my mother. Only the smell of her perfume, that she was beautiful, and Puh-pa loved her very much.”